Getting To Know You
by theypreferthetermpeople
Summary: Six years from now and the Adams Fosters are living lives they couldn't have planned. Jude is a first year at UC San Diego, living at home. The twins are seniors, Brandon and Callie are newly out of college, Callie engaged to a man named Tony, with a baby, Elizabeth. Brandon is married to Lauren, whose daughter Sammy is his, too. Mariana brings home a girlfriend to family dinner.
1. Chapter 1

"It's going to be fine," Mariana reassured as she grasped the doorknob, twisting it and letting them into the big house. "We're here!" she called as she stepped in, pulling her girlfriend by the hand. There was no reply, and no one came running to greet them. She tried again, "Mama?!"

"Kitchen!" a voice called back from around the corner. Mariana glanced back at Casey.

"Ready?" she inquired, a teasing smirk on her face.

"Will I ever be?" Casey returned, raising one eyebrow.

"No," Mariana agreed, winking and giving her a kiss. "Let's go. Mama's a good place to start."

"That's Lena, right?" Casey clarified, and Mariana nodded.

The two girls proceeded into the kitchen, where Lena was hovering over a hot stove, stirring something that sizzled and smelled deliciously of garlic.

"Hi Mama!" Mariana let go of Casey's hand and crossed the room to give her mom a hug. Lena kissed her cheek and smiled warmly at Casey.

"And you must be Casey," she said, holding out one hand, palm up, as though to offer a hug without pressuring. Casey simply nodded and smiled shyly, still hovering in the doorway. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Stef's out back with Jude, Callie, Tony, and the baby. Brandon's on his way with Sammy, but no Lauren. Jesús still hasn't answered any of Mom's calls."

Mariana laughed. "Jesús never answers phone calls, you have to text him. No one calls anyone anymore, Mama. But he'll be here. He was asking us for a ride over. You know he doesn't pass up free food." Lena shook her head.

"Go say hi to everyone else, and introduce Casey. I promise they won't bite," she added with due seriousness. Mariana took Casey's hand again and pulled her to the back door, through which one could see an older blonde woman, two brown-haired young men, a girl who matched one of the boys, and a baby lying on her back in the grass, bare feet kicking up at the sunshine. Before opening the door, Mariana pointed with her free hand and named each character for her girlfriend's benefit - Stef, also known as Mom; Jude, the younger brother; Tony, sister Callie's fiancé; Callie, the sister; and Elizabeth, Callie and Tony's infant.

"Mariana!" cried Jude, leaping up from his crouched spot beside the baby. Even at 19, he was full of the kind of pure, innocent enthusiasm and love that had won the entire Adams Foster family over when they first met him seven years prior. He came over and hugged his sister, who returned the embrace and then came closer to the rest of the group, Casey following tentatively behind.

"Mom, Callie, Jude, Tony, this is Casey," Mariana introduced. Casey gave a half-smile and a wave, accompanied by a quiet, "Hi." Stef got to her feet with a little less agility than she'd possessed a few years ago and hugged her daughter before offering the guest a sturdy handshake.

"Welcome," she said, patting Casey on the shoulder.

"It's downright cruel of Mari to make you meet us all at once," said Callie, twisting around to look up at Casey but not rising from her seat beside her daughter. Casey smiled at that.

Tony agreed, adding, "I didn't have to do this. I got to ease into it, just the moms first. Not that that's much better - Stef's the hardest one to pass anyway." He flashed his own wide smile at Casey, who grinned back. Stef just leaned down and bopped him on the head.

"Don't scare her off before I have the chance," she chided. Casey felt herself relaxing into the gentle family banter, feeling perfectly at home with this outgoing group of near strangers. Her own family, though much smaller, was similarly jocular.

"Don't worry, I'm pretty brave," she chimed in, flashing the smile that had caught Mariana's heart the first time she saw it in class. Tied with that aggressive intellect, well, Mari had been a goner from the start...

 _"We keep saying that word, 'intersectionality,' without ever crediting its creator. Kimberlé Crenshaw was a Black woman activist and scholar, and she coined the term in order to talk about the unique oppression that Black women experience at the intersection of racism and sexism. If we're going to use her language, and we should, we should also acknowledge that it's hers." The outspoken young woman hadn't waited to be called on, simply raising her hand and talking as she did so, interrupting the professor's lecture. Mariana, seated off to the side of the small seminar classroom, looked up from her doodling. This cross-cultural gender analysis class was just a GE for her, and though she found the information interesting, she was much too caught up in planning the coding for her senior thesis to really engage. But she'd had her eye on this girl since the first day of class two weeks before - skin not too much lighter than Mariana's own, hair a light brown that revealed a purple underside when up in a ponytail, sitting front and center and struggling to keep from talking constantly. She carried herself with a confident sort of grace, wore perfectly winged black eyeliner nearly every day, and seemed to draw Mariana's gaze magnetically. Mari had had crushes on girls before, of course - there was Tia from the dance team, obviously, and before she'd really realized her sexuality she'd definitely been confused about Emma, and since starting college she'd kissed tons of girls at parties and things, but she'd never had this kind of aggressive heart-flutter-y feelings. She felt almost absurd the way her cheeks colored up whenever this Casey smiled at her, or how her normally self-assured countenance crumbled whenever she tried to talk to her, even just to say hi._

 _After class, Mariana was packing up her backpack when she felt eyes on her. She looked up, already blushing uncharacteristically, somehow_ knowing _it was that Casey. And, of course, it was._

 _"Hey," Casey said, speaking quickly and with a nervous edge to her voice, "wouldyoumaybewanttogooutsometime?" It took a couple of seconds for Mariana to register what her classmate had said._

 _"Uh, yeah, sure, totally," she replied, trying to sound nonchalant. "Maybe, uh, we could get coffee?"_

 _"Tuesday?" Casey suggested._

 _"11:00?"_

 _"Sounds perfect." And with that established, the two girls parted, each shaking a little with excitement and anxiety, and both immediately pulling out their phones to text their best friends._

Playing with baby Elizabeth and when she arrived Brandon's stepdaughter Sammy, who was four, kept the clan busy until Lena called them all to dinner. Neither the kitchen nor the dining room could really comfortably hold the entire family, which had grown so much since they'd first bought the house, just two moms and a boy. So they took advantage of the sunshine, spreading out across the backyard with plates on their laps, naturally falling into conversational groups. Typically people moseyed around the yard, moving from person to person, catching up with whomever they had seen the least recently, the children being highly coveted and their parents glad for a break. But tonight all eyes were on Mariana and Casey, who felt the attention acutely but tried not to show it. Callie, Jesús, and Stef all jostled to make sure Casey passed their test for a suitable suitor. Brandon, Jude, and Lena expressed friendly interest in Casey's studies, family life, and passions without being as overzealous as the other half of their family. Sammy, in a phase with no understanding of stranger danger, immediately claimed the new person as her best friend and, after stuffing her food into her mouth, became engrossed in Casey's hair, delighted by the purple. Elizabeth merely dozed and gurgled and occasionally cried, as babies tend to do, and Tony stuck to Callie's side but stayed quiet.

Casey was impressed by the level of diversity this family presented. Two moms, one white and one biracial, a white son with an Asian kid, a white daughter with a Latino husband and a biracial baby, Latino twins, and another white son. Mariana had told her that Jude, the youngest, was gay, and that both her moms identified as lesbian. Brandon was Stef's biological son, but his own daughter, Sammy, was, Casey assumed, adopted. The infant seemed to be Callie and Tony's biological child, but who knew, at this point? Her own family of mom, dad, brother, sister, dog seemed incredibly uninteresting in comparison. The personalities, too, were as diverse as the appearances. Stef was loud and funny, as was Jesús, whom she'd met at school and knew fairly well. Lena was quiet but warm, mirrored by Brandon. Callie started off rather reserved, but seemed to open up throughout the night, as did Jude, though he was quieter than his sister. It was all fairly dizzying for Casey to comprehend, but she soon stopped thinking about who was related to whom and how, and just thought of them as her girlfriend's family - big, boisterous, and very fun.

After dessert and a small glass of wine for everyone but Jude, the kids, and Callie, who was breastfeeding, the party broke up. Callie and Tony packed up the baby and went home for an early bedtime. Brandon did the same, though Sammy resisted and had to be dragged away from her grandmothers, aunts, and uncles. Jesús packed up several Tupperware containers of leftovers and took off as mysteriously as he'd come. That left only Stef, Lena, and Jude, the three occupants of the house they were at, and Mariana and Casey.

"Well, we ought to head out," Mariana said at last, standing up and stretching. They'd moseyed into the living room as people had peeled away, dusk had fallen, and the air had cooled. "Gnight, moms."

"Thank you for having us," Casey added.

"Our pleasure," Lena said, at the same time as Stef responded, "Not a problem."

With kisses and hugs between the family members, and another firm handshake from Stef to Casey, the two girls set off.

"That was fun," Casey told Mariana as they climbed into Mari's car. "They're not as scary as you made them out to be."

"Well, good," Mariana replied, leaning over to kiss her girlfriend. "Because they're here to stay, and so are you, I hope."

"Definitely," Casey said with another small kiss.


	2. Chapter 2

"Sammy, let's go! Auntie Callie and Uncle Tony are waiting for you!" Brandon strode into the living room of his and Lauren's small apartment only to find his daughter languishing on the sofa. "Sam, come on, it's time to go. Mama and Papa have to get to our concert." Sam rolled over with a discontented grimace on her face.

"My tummy hurts," she complained, curling even more tightly into a ball. " And my head. And I'm cold."

Brandon lay his hand on her forehead in that parental way, divining nothing more than that her skin was warmer than his always-freezing fingers. "Oh, sweetheart, let's take your temperature," he said pityingly, a flame of panic rising in his chest. If she was sick, there was no way Callie and Tony could watch her overnight; they wouldn't want the baby near any germs. But he and Lauren were both playing in the concert tonight, and neither of them could exactly miss... He worried his way to the hall closet, where he retrieved a thermometer, and then worried his way back to Sammy on the couch. A minute or two later and the little white stick revealed the truth - 99.8, not dangerous but certainly a fever. "Okay, sweetpea, you just sit tight. I'm gonna go talk to Mama."

"I want my puppy," Sammy whined, rubbing her eyes as though to block out the lamplight.

"I'll get your puppy as soon as I talk with Mama, okay, baby?" Brandon promised, already heading into the kitchen, where his wife was eating leftovers straight out of the container while double-checking that she had all her music.

"Sam's sick," Brandon announced, and Lauren looked up.

"Oh, no. How sick?"

"Fever, headache, stomachache. No way she can stay with Cal and Tony tonight. She'll spread whatever it is to the baby. But we can't stay home..."

"Call your moms," Lauren suggested. "We can drop her off on our way. But hurry, or we'll be late for call."

Brandon pulled out his phone, amazed he hadn't thought of the solution himself. "Good idea. Can you get her puppy from her bedroom?" Lauren nodded and he dialed his moms' landline.

One ring, then two, then Stef's voice answered the phone with a brisk, "Hello?"

"Mom? It's B. Can you guys take Sammy for tonight? Callie was going to watch her but she's got a fever and I don't want her to get the baby sick, too."

Stef sounded apologetic when she responded, "Oh, B, I wish I could, but tonight's the precinct banquet. Mama and I were just headed out the door. What's got you and Lauren both busy?"

"I'm playing with the symphony tonight," Brandon reminded his mom. "Can't you skip the banquet? Or at least could Mama?"

"B, they're recognizing me for the promotion to detective tonight. I've got to be there. Call your sister! Love you, bye!" And she hung up before he could remind her that the very reason he was calling was because his sister couldn't take Sammy. But he had another sister... He dialed Mariana, crossing his fingers.

"'Lo?" answered Mariana, sounding either sleepy or drunk, and considering the hour, Brandon knew it was the latter. He didn't say anything, just sighed and pulled the phone down to hang up. "B? 'S everything okay?" Mariana persisted. He put the phone back to his ear.

"Yeah, Sammy's just sick and I need a babysitter. I'll call someone else, though."

"No, no, I can do it!" Mariana assured him, her words straightening up.

"Mari, you're clearly drunk, and what did I expect, it's a Friday night and you're still in college."

"I'm not that drunk, Brandon, it's fine. I'll be over in ten minutes." And with a click, the phone went silent. Brandon sighed and went to find his wife, worrying that circumstances had changed for the worst.

Lauren was kneeling beside Sammy on the couch, smoothing her hair soothingly as she snuggled her stuffed dog, eyes tightly closed.

"My moms are busy, so I called Mariana and she's on her way over," Brandon murmured, stooping down to lay a fatherly hand on Sammy's knee. Lauren looked up at him.

"You don't sound relieved," she noted with an anxious smile. "What's wrong?"

"Mariana's been drinking," he admitted, sighing. "But she hung up on me before I could tell her not to come."

"Brandon, what if she's driving!" Lauren admonished. "Call her right now and tell her to knock it off. Maybe Callie or Tony can come over and watch her at our place, while the other stays with Elizabeth. Or we can try one of the high school babysitters. But for goodness sake we're not letting your sister drive drunk to watch our kid!"

Brandon dialed again, holding the phone up to his ear. "Mariana? Are you driving?" was the first thing out of his mouth when his sister answered.

"Casey is," Mariana replied, sounding a little more sure of herself than she had before. "I didn't think I was safe to. But Brandon, Casey'll stay with me and Sam until I'm totally sober, and we'll be fine, I swear. We're like five minutes away. And I have coffee." Again, she hung up before her brother could respond. Lauren gave him a critical look.

"Her girlfriend is driving her, and she said she'd stay with them til Mari's sober."

"I'm not leaving our daughter with a stranger and your drunk sister," was Lauren's unassuming reply.

"Laur, I met her at family dinner last week, she's a nice girl, and we're totally screwed here. They're already on their way."

Lauren glared daggers at him before turning away and kissing Sammy's forehead. "I'll meet her," she allowed, back to him. "But if Mariana's really drunk, I'm staying home with Sam and the damn orchestra can play one violin short."

With that, Sammy opened her eyes. "Mama, you said a bad word," she informed her mother sleepily. Lauren looked down at her daughter with a mixture of love and frustration.

"You're right, baby. I did. How are you feeling?"

"Poopy," Sam replied, her hand creeping up to her mouth as she tried to suck her thumb without Lauren noticing. Letting the thumb slide for now, Lauren shook her head and gave Sam another kiss. Just then, the buzzer sounded, and Brandon went to let the girls into the building.

Casey and Mariana knocked on the door to the apartment and waited for Brandon to open it. When he did, he surveyed the two critically. Before he could say anything, Casey jumped in.

"She only had two beers. She's just a lightweight. And I'll stay with them both the entire time, I swear. I know you don't really know me but Mariana said you sounded panicked, and I didn't want to leave you guys hanging."

"Thanks," Brandon said slowly, a little shocked. "My, uh, my wife, Lauren, she wants to meet you. Come on in." He stepped back and the two young women entered, immediately seeing Sammy on the couch, Lauren still crouched beside her.

"Hey Sam," Mariana greeted, mostly steady on her feet as she went and knelt beside her sister-in-law. "I hear you're feeling crummy." Sammy opened her eyes and nodded. Lauren looked at Mariana, eyes narrowed, and then stood to greet Casey.

"Hi," she said shortly, looking the newcomer over judgmentally.

"Hi," Casey said, offering a handshake. "Look, I know it's not your favorite plan, leaving your kid with someone you hardly know. But you two have got to be going or you'll miss your concert. Mariana told me about it," she explained, to Lauren's questioning look. "Congrats on the concerto, by the way," she added to Brandon. "I'll text you updates throughout the night, and you can call at intermission and immediately after the performance. I'll stay right here and babysit Mari and Sammy both. I might not have been your first choice, but I'm your only one, right?"  
Lauren and Brandon exchanged looks. "Fine," Lauren said shortly, moving toward the kitchen. "Let me show you the emergency list."

After a thorough briefing on emergency contacts (the two of them, Stef and Lena, Callie and Tony, the pediatrician, Urgent Care, Poison Control, and the ER), bedtime rituals (7:30 at the latest, read two picture books, make sure Sam could see the words because they were trying to help her learn to read, turn on her CD player of soothing music, leave the nightlight on and the door cracked, make sure she has her puppy), and an orientation of the apartment (medications are in the closet, she can have two of the orange Motrin if she asks for anything for her fever, her bedroom is the one on the left, there's a fire extinguisher under the kitchen counter), Lauren finally consented to leave, violin case in one hand and cellphone in the other.

"Call if you have any questions," she said anxiously. "Brandon's only playing the one piece so he could come right home after."

"We'll be fine," Casey promised, shooing them out the door. "Good luck, and don't worry."

Parents finally banished to their evening, dress clothes wrinkled from anxiety, Casey went over to the little girl who was smiling at her aunt Mariana's goofy storytelling, though her forehead was still scrunched in pain.

"Hi, Sammy," Casey said, squatting down beside her girlfriend. "I met you on Sunday, I'm Casey, Mariana's... friend." She didn't know why she'd hesitated, or why she'd lied - clearly the kid knew about gay people, she had lesbian grandmas, a gay uncle, and a bisexual aunt. But she felt weird telling a four year old she was queer.

"You're the purple one." Sammy nodded solemnly, as though this made perfect sense. It took Casey a minute to remember the little girl had played with her hair, and seen her streak.

"That's exactly right," Casey replied, smiling gently. "It sounds like you're not feeling so good, huh? Your mom said your tummy was hurting?"

"And my head," Sammy confirmed, pressing a small hand to her eye. "Plus I was really cold, but now I'm really hot."

"Sounds like a little stomach bug," Casey said, giving the girl a faux-grumpy face. "No fun. Why don't we get you some medicine and then sit in your bed?"

"Not bedtime yet," Sammy protested weakly.

"That's true," Casey allowed. All this while, Mariana had simply sat back on her heels and watched the exchange between her lover and her niece, head still a little fuzzy from the alcohol. The only thing she was really retaining was how _cute_ her girlfriend was, and how _cute_ Casey and Sammy were together.

"Maybe a movie?" Mariana suggested. "What about we watch The Lion King until bedtime?"

Sammy looked at her warily. "Papa says The Lion King is too sad. I like Inside Out."

"That's pretty sad too," Mariana said. "Plus I don't think you own it," she added, looking at the small stack of DVDs. "How about Mulan?" Sammy nodded eagerly, pushing herself upright. "Okay, then. Let's do that."

"Did you eat dinner yet, Sammy?" Casey asked, and Sam nodded her head.

"I ate like a million years ago," she informed her babysitters, both of whom exchanged a smile.

"Alright, then. Let's get you a little snack to eat before you take the medicine."

A graham cracker, two children's Motrin, a glass of water, half an hour, and a third of Mulan later, Sammy was snoozing on the sofa beside Mariana, who sat between her and Casey, holding Casey's hand.

"We should put her to bed," Casey whispered, noting the time and the sleeping child.

"I hate to wake her... Maybe we should just let her sleep here."

"The couch is not going to be comfortable for very long," Casey disagreed, "and if she's out here, where are we going to sit?"

"You'd better carry her, then," Mariana acquiesced, sliding carefully off the couch. Casey slid her arms underneath the four year old and slowly lifted her. Sammy shifted in her arms but didn't wake. Casey slowly let her breath out, which she hadn't realized she'd been holding, and walked the little girl to her bedroom, where she set her down softly, Mariana pulling the covers over. The stuffed dog was still clutched tightly to the little body, and Mariana gave Sammy a kiss while Casey turned on the nightlight.

Brandon and Lauren returned home around ten, though Lauren had called twice before that, both times being assured that Sammy was sleeping soundly and had been since 7:30. Casey and Mariana finished watching Mulan, the volume low, and then snuggled on the sofa, occupying themselves with their cell phones and each other for the rest of the time. Lauren immediately went to check on Sammy, while Brandon thanked his sister and her girlfriend.

"Really, we were totally screwed tonight, and you saved us," he said, speaking directly to Casey. "Let me-" He fumbled for his wallet.

"No way," Casey said firmly, pushing his hand away. "This was a family favor." She smiled at him, and he relented.

"Well, thank you," he replied. "Do you need a ride home, or?"

"We've got Mariana's car," she assured him. And with a final embrace between sister and brother, the girls left the apartment, and Brandon went to his wife and sleeping daughter.


	3. Chapter 3

[A/N: Someone requested more of the moms, and since I am the number one moms fan, the next two chapters are going to be mom-heavy. This is Stef, and it's not very good, but I have to go to class soon, so deal. Also, this story still really has no plot. Thanks for reading it anyway.]

Time was flying by. Mariana realized suddenly one morning, while blow-drying her hair and listening to Casey hum in the kitchen of the small apartment, that they had been dating for nearly four months. Casey had been to family dinner every Friday since that first time, she'd babysat Sammy and held Elizabeth, and no longer needed clarification on who was who in the massive Adams Foster crew. Finals were almost done, and soon they'd both be graduating. Though both girls technically had separate apartments, they'd essentially been living together for two months now. Mariana couldn't picture her life without Casey. Her loving musings were disrupted by a call of, "Shit, Mariana, you've got to run! Isn't your exam at 9:45?" Her face split into a wide grin as she turned off the hairdryer and went to her overly anxious girlfriend.

"It's only 9:15, honey," she said, rolling her eyes a bit. "I've got half an hour."

"You don't want to be late for an exam," Casey insisted. "Plus, you never know if the bus is running on time."

With a chuckle and a smile, Mariana took the bagel her girlfriend had prepared for her and left to take her last examination of her college career.

After finishing the test, Mariana packed up her bag and left the lecture hall, dropping the paper onto the stack at the front of the room. She pulled out her phone to find three texts from Casey - "good luck," "you're the smartest girl in there," and "I'm going into work now" - and one from her mom - "how'd your test go?" with three different smiley emojis. (Stef had just discovered the emoji keyboard after having an iPhone for nearly ten years.) She replied to Casey with "it went well" and a heart, and then to her mom with a thumbs up emoji. Seconds later, her phone began to buzz, indicating a phone call. The screen filled with a picture of her mom's smiling face. She swiped right and held the phone to her ear.

"Hey Mom," she answered.

"How did you know it was me?" Stef replied, sounding surprised. Mariana stifled an exasperated chuckle.

"Caller ID, Mom," she explained, glad her mother couldn't see her roll her eyes.

"Oh. Well, what do you have planned for the rest of the day, love? I'm off work and I miss my baby girl."

"I'm twenty two."

"And you're my baby. Can I come pick you up for lunch?"

Mariana smiled. "Yeah, sure, that'd be nice."

"I'll see you in fifteen minutes," her mom promised.

Moms' grey Subaru (total lesbian stereotype, she knew) pulled up in front of the science hall and Mariana climbed into the passenger seat. No sooner had she buckled her seatbelt than the questions started up.

"So, are you and Casey still together?"

"Yes."

"And how's that going?"

"Fine."

"For heaven's sake, Mariana, you sound like a teenager. I need a little more than 'fine' here."

"Okay, it's great. I love her a lot."

"Love, huh?" Stef sounded skeptical.

"Yeah, Mom, love."

"Have you told her that?"

"Yes," Mariana asserted, smiling a little as she thought back to the first time.

 _"That was a stupid movie," she'd said, turning to look at her girlfriend. They had been together for exactly two weeks and three days, and so far she'd found nearly every second of that time exquisite._

 _"_ Imagine Me and You _is a lesbian classic," Casey argued, shaking her head. "And 'you're a wanker, number nine,' is essentially lesbian-speak for 'I love you.'"  
_

 _"Well I'm not a lesbian," Mariana countered, and Casey shook her head.  
_

 _"Lesbian, bisexual, queer, whatever. It's iconic queer lady media."  
_

 _"That doesn't mean I have to like it."  
_

 _Casey shrugged. "Fair enough. But at least you've seen it now. And I don't have to be ashamed to be seen with you in public." Both girls laughed. There was a moment of silence. The computer sitting on the coffee table in front of them had gone into sleep mode. Both of Casey's roommates were out, so they were alone in the apartment. They leaned towards each other slowly. When their faces were six inches apart, Casey whispered softly, "Can I kiss you?" and Mariana replied, "Please." Their lips met tenderly, the kiss a slow burn. They pulled apart, eyes locked. This wasn't their first kiss by a long shot, but every time she touched her, Mariana felt her heart beat a little faster. They kissed again, and this time Casey's tongue gently ran over Mariana's lips. She parted them, and -  
_

 _"I love you," she said suddenly, as though the words had been waiting for Casey to liberate them. Casey pulled back. Mariana's cheeks colored as she held her breath, waiting for a response.  
_

 _"You're a wanker, number nine," Casey breathed, a twinkle in her eye, as she leaned back in for another kiss._

"Mariana?" Stef said, the car stopping with a little jolt. "Earth to Mariana." She stuck her hand out and snapped her fingers in front of her daughter, who jumped.

"Sorry, Mom, what?" Mariana asked, stumbling over her words as she brought her mind back to the present.

"I asked where you wanted to eat, but I think someone was daydreaming about her giiirlfriend," Stef teased.

"Oh, uh, let's just go home," Mari responded, her cheeks coloring in a way that told Stef her guess was exactly right.

"So, you love Casey," Stef continued, flicking on her turn signal. "And how does she feel?"

"She loves me back," Mariana said, as though it were the most obvious answer in the world.

"Hmm," was all Stef said.

"Mom, I can tell there's something you want to say, so just say it."

"I'm just wondering what your plans are post-graduation. You've only got a week left, you know."

"I already told you and Mama that I accepted that job at Epic. It's here in the city, it pays pretty well, and it's a good start in the field."

"Mhm, and what about Casey?"

"She's staying at UCSD and starting her master's right away."

"So she's staying town. Are you guys planning to stay together?"

"I don't know, Mom. I guess so." Mariana tried not to roll her eyes. Mom could be so frustrating sometimes. Whatever it was she actually wanted to ask, it seemed she wasn't going to get to it any time soon.

"What about living?"

"Well, her lease is up in August, and her roommates are both moving out of state. She and I renewed the lease on my apartment, since Emilia is moving back in with her parents." Emilia was Mariana's current flatmate, who spent more time at her boyfriend's place than theirs anyway.

"So you're planning to live together?"

"Yeah. I mean, we basically already do."

"Have you had sex?"

"MOM!"

"Well have you? It's an important part of a relationship, Mari, and you want to know you're compatible with someone before you go-"

Mariana interrupted her. "Yeah, Mom, we've had sex."

"And?" Stef probed.

"And what, Mom? I'm not giving you details about my sex life!"

"I'm not asking for details," Stef said, holding up a hand. "Believe you me, I certainly do not want details. I just want to know that you're being safe, and using protection, and-"

"Mom, I'm not Jesús. I promise I won't get my girlfriend pregnant," she teased, trying to change the topic.

"I'm not worried about that," Stef replied, shaking her head and turning the car into the driveway. "I'm thinking more about disease and heartbreak than pregnancy."

"Well I promise I won't get diseased or heartbroken, then."

"Those aren't promises you can make, Mariana," her mom said, tone suddenly serious.

"Mom. I'm an adult now. And I'm sure about this, okay? I love Casey, and she loves me."

"Has she been tested?" Stef asked, and Mariana groaned.

"My girlfriend's STI status is not your business, Mom."

"So she's positive, then?"

"Mom!" Mariana protested.

"What? You'd just have said she was clean if she was clean."

"Calling people who are HIV negative 'clean' stigmatizes HIV," she replied, almost on autopilot, feeling like Casey.

"What?"

"Just say 'HIV negative,'" Mariana repeated, unclicking her seatbelt. "And if you must know, yes, Casey and I have both been tested for HIV and other STIs, and we are both fully healthy."

"Okay, okay," Stef said defensively, though she had been the one to bring the topic up. "Let's just eat lunch."

 _"Casey, come to bed," Mariana had whined, patting the mattress beside her. "Your paper is fine and reading it for the seventy millionth time isn't going to make it any better. Besides, it's late and you have early class tomorrow." Casey clicked save for the last time and closed the computer._  
 _"Okay, you win," she conceded, crossing over and crawling into bed. "But only because you're too cute and logical." She gave Mariana a kiss before settling down.  
"I use my powers for good," laughed Mariana, kissing her girlfriend back and wrapping an arm securely around her waist, tucking their bodies together like spoons in a drawer. She leaned forward, putting her mouth right next to Casey's ear, and whispered, "And for evil," as her hand crept up Casey's stomach until it was grazing over her breasts. "Can I?" she asked, stopping her hand until she'd received permission.  
Soon enough, the girls were facing each other, and Mariana's fingers were lingering at the waistband of Casey's pajama pants.  
"Not right now," Casey said, grabbing her girlfriend's hands in hers. "We ought to be safe about this." Mariana pouted a little, not to protest the rejection of sex, but simply to express her displeasure. Casey smiled a little. "Believe me, I want to, and I care about you, but I care about our health, too. Let's get tested together," she suggested, and Mariana agreed, finding the suggestion sexier than she'd expected._


	4. Chapter 4

_[A/N: Yes, Mariana and Stef are eating lunch at 11am. Shh. Let me have my absurdities. Shh. Also, TW for sexual assault... I wasn't really planning on that being a thing but apparently it is. So yeah, read with caution, keep yourselves safe, yadda yadda.]_

"What do you want to eat?" Stef asked, clicking the car lock button and putting her key into the back door.

"Um, anything's fine," Mariana replied, trying to move past the weird conversation they'd had in the car on the way home.

"I think we have some of Mama's lasagna left."

"Perfect," Mari agreed. "I can get it, Mom." She stepped through the doorway and went to the fridge, where she pulled out a glass lasagna pan still more than half full. "Gosh, looks like Mama still hasn't learned to cook for three people, huh?"

"Nope," Stef agreed, chuckling as she got out plates and forks. "She still triples the recipes for everything. But that means we only have to cook a few nights a week, anyway. And I haven't had to make myself a sandwich for weeks."

"What are you doing off today, anyway?" Mariana asked. "It's a Thursday."

"My schedule's gotten a little funkier since the promotion," Stef explained. "Besides, without so many kids at home, I can work later in the evenings, and sometimes I even do night shifts. Haven't done those since before Brandon was born." She shook her head a little.

"Do you and Mama still get time together?" Mari pressed. "I mean, if you're working late and at night and stuff."

"Mama and I are just fine, love. I promise."

The two women took the pause in conversation to start eating their newly microwaved pasta. It certainly was refreshingly homemade tasting, since Mariana tended to live on a college student diet of simple, plain foods. Basil was really a wonderful invention. Suddenly, Mariana's phone buzzed, and she looked guiltily down at her pocket.

"Go ahead, baby," her mother urged. "It's fine."

"I'm sorry," she said, even as she pulled the device out and answered. "Hey, Case. No, I'm at my moms' for lunch. Yeah, the test was fine. Are you okay?" There was a few beats of silence. "Okay. Yeah, of course, honey. No, it's fine. Where are you? Hey, hey, calm down. It's okay. Just tell me where you are." She listened intently again. "Okay. I'll be right there, love." She hung up and looked up at her mom, eyes wide with anxiety.

"What's going on, Miss Thing?"

"Casey got mugged. She's kind of freaked out. I'm sorry, Mom, I know you wanted to spend some time together..." She trailed off, guiltier than ever.

"I understand," Stef assured her. "Where is she? Is she okay? What'd they take? How many were there?"

"She didn't really say what happened, just that she was down behind the community center and she was scared but not hurt." Mariana was already standing up, digging around in her bag. "Shit, I don't have my keys. Where's my... Oh, right, I took the bus. Shit." She looked up. "Can I borrow your car?"

"Let's go," Stef said, keys already in hand. "I'm coming with you."

They drove in silence to the community center, where Stef pulled into the parking lot and they immediately spotted Casey's green Prius. She sat in the front seat, folded over the steering wheel, her shoulders shaking slightly in a way that Mariana knew meant she was trying to suppress tears.

"I'll wait here," Stef said, parking just left of Casey so Mariana was right beside her.

"Thanks, Mom," Mariana responded, climbing out of the Subaru and tapping on the driver's window of Casey's car. Casey jumped, turned, and then opened the door, falling immediately into her girlfriend's arms. Stef cracked the window open a tiny bit, always nosy. Mariana's comforting whispers filtered into the car. "I know, honey. Hey, it's okay. I'm here. My mom's here. You're okay. I love you. Hey, baby, it's okay. You're okay, I promise. Come on, sweetie." All the while, Mariana held Casey close, rubbing her back gently. After a few moments, Casey had calmed down, and Mariana coaxed her into the backseat of the Subaru, where she could hold her sitting down. Stef knew she should keep her mouth shut, but...

"Casey, honey, can you tell us what happened?" she probed. Casey's head snapped up, and she tried to smile at Stef.

"Oh, I'm alright," she assured her. "Just a little rattled. No big." The way her lips quivered as she spoke belied her words.

"Case..." Mariana sighed.

"Casey, I know it's hard to talk about, but it'll help," Stef urged. Casey shrugged. "Just tell me what happened," she instructed, her voice a combination of caring and demanding.

"Uh, I was just walking, and uh, this group of guys was walking past, and I sorta, like, put my head down or whatever, and one of them whistled at me, and I kinda said to, uh... take a walk..." Her voice went up and trailed off, making it clear she'd used a different phrase.

"And then?" Stef encouraged.

"One of them grabbed me," she continued, hunching her shoulders over and leaning into Mariana still further.

"Where did he grab you?" Stef asked.

"Around the wrist. He pulled me toward him and said..." She swallowed.

"What'd he say, honey?"

"That he thought I could help him with that," she mumbled.

"With what?"

"With... uh... fucking himself."

Stef closed her eyes. She forced herself to breathe deeply. And then she had to ask, "Did he touch you anywhere else, Casey?" The younger woman squirmed and angled her shoulders away from her girlfriend, scooting away. Stef took this as a yes, and pressed, "Did he go under your clothes?" Casey didn't move. "Casey? It's important that we know this."

Another beat, and then Mariana broke in, "Mom, let it be. She doesn't have to tell you." She gave her mother a look that said, _Don't be a cop right now_. Stef raised an eyebrow but let it rest. Then Mari put her hand on Casey's back, who flinched a little but then relaxed. "Baby, what can I do for you?"

Casey shook her head. "I don't know," she whispered. Then after a beat, "Can you just take me home?"

"Of course, love," Stef replied, turning the key in the ignition. "Put your seatbelts on."

They drove in silence to Casey's apartment, Mariana sitting in the middle of the backseat but Casey pressing herself against the window, as far away as she could get. Mari didn't push, just left her hand palm up in between their bodies so her partner would know she was there for her. When they arrived, Casey wiped her face with a hand and said to Stef, "Thanks for coming."

"No problem, honey," Stef assured her.

"And thanks," Casey added, turning to Mariana.

"Of course, baby," Mari responded. "Do you want me to come in?"

"I think I want to be alone," Casey said apologetically. "I'm sorry, it's not that I don't want you around-"

"I get it. Take care. Call me tonight?"

"I will."

Casey climbed out of the car with another wobbly smile and thank you to Stef, and then the two Adams Foster women watched her make her way into the building, through the security doors, and out of sight. Mariana sighed and climbed over the center console of the car to sit beside her mother in the front seat.

"Well, fuck," Mariana said, leaning back against the headrest. Her mom touched her hand tentatively.

"What can I do, love?" she asked, a sad smile on her face. Her Mariana was so strong, but clearly hurting herself.

"I don't know, Mom," Mariana answered honestly, echoing Casey's answer to her own posing of the same question. "I guess I just need to go home."

"I can do that," said Stef, giving her hand a squeeze.


	5. Chapter 5

After dropping Mariana off at her apartment, Stef drove home alone, troubled. She didn't like the idea of young girls being attacked by groups of strange men, and she liked even less the idea of that girl being her daughter's girlfriend. She knew that regardless of what had happened to Casey, the girl needed some support, and she didn't know how to give it to her, barely knowing her as she did. Sighing, she locked the car and went into the house. The two plates of lasagna were still on the kitchen table, half eaten, and she began clearing them, not feeling so hungry anymore. Her mind restless, she went to the computer and logged on, searching for sexual assault resources at UCSD. She copied the link to the Sexual Assault Resource Center on campus, the numbers of two different hotlines, and the link to a brochure about supporting a loved one through sexual trauma and sent all four of them to Mariana in an email, with the subject heading "For Casey," and the message body, "I love you baby xox." She sent it off and then leaned back, taking her glasses off and rubbing her face.

That evening, Lena arrive home to find Stef at the stove, stirring something that smelled deliciously of garlic.

"Hey sweetheart, thanks for cooking," she said, going over to kiss her wife. "That looks fantastic."

Stef gave a forced smile. "Just some garlic chicken and chard, and there's a loaf of sourdough warming in the oven."

"Have I told you today that I love you?" Lena joked.

"Love you too honey. Tough day?"

"Just the usual grind. A meeting with the parent board, a disciplinary hearing, a couple of new applicants for the wait list. Nothing too terrible." She paused, noticing Stef's stiff countenance. "Stef? Is everything okay?"

Stef blinked and shook herself out of her spaced-out zone. "Yeah, yeah, things are fine. You go change and wash up. Jude is upstairs doing homework. This'll be ready in a couple of minutes. Can you ask him to set the table?"

"Sure," Lena agreed, still looking critically at her clearly-lying wife. But she said nothing, simply ran a hand over Stef's back and gave her a kiss on the cheek before heading upstairs to take off her work clothes.

Over in Casey's apartment, the girl lay on her bed, eyes wide open, body stiff. She found it hard to believe that had just happened to her. She didn't want to think about it, but she couldn't keep her mind from running through the details over and over again - _his hand on her wrist, and then another behind her, up her shirt, plucking at her bra..._ She tried to push the images from her mind, to stop the videotape in her head, but it continued. _The first man's smile, his touch on her cheek, the way she had recoiled. Bumping her head on the chest of the guy behind her. The hand on her chest. The eye contact. The smile. The smell of alcohol on his breath. The way she'd held her own. His hand moving hers to his crotch..._ This time she shook herself more forcefully, and sat up. No use dwelling. She leaned down and grabbed her laptop, which she opened to Facebook, determined to forget about the incident.

Dinner that night was a relatively quiet affair. Stef remained distracted while Lena and Jude made some conversation and then fell silent. Ever the sensitive boy, Jude offered to clean up and do the dishes so his moms could talk, and Lena gave him a grateful smile. "That would be wonderful, bub," she said, laying her hand over his. He tried to smile back, but it was clear he was concerned about his mom. Lena tried to communicate with her eyes a message of _I'll handle it_.

"Babe?" she said, and Stef blinked a couple of times.

"Huh?"

"Want to go upstairs?"

"Yeah, yeah," Stef said distractedly. "Sounds good. I'll just clean up down here."

"I can do it, Mom," Jude piped in, as Lena responded, "Jude said he'd take care of it."

"Thanks sweetie," Stef said to her son, giving him a wink. "Then homework, yes?" Jude resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He was nineteen and his moms still treated him like he was twelve sometimes, but he knew putting up with it for one more year was the least he could do, after everything they'd given him.

"Come on love," Lena said to Stef, standing and putting a hand on her shoulder. "Let's go." She guided her wife up to their bedroom, her own eyebrows knit in concern. Once they were safely in the quiet of their room, with the door closed, she turned and confronted Stef head-on. "Alright, what's going on?"

"Sit down," Stef said wearily, sensing she was no longer going to be able to keep up the ruse that nothing had happened, and knowing that really, she didn't want to. Lena sat obediently on the bed, still watching her wife. After another moment of silence, Lena spoke again.

"Stef, you're scaring me. Did something happen with one of the kids, or?"

"I had lunch with Mariana today," Stef began to explain, "and right when we got home she got a phone call from Casey." Lena raised her brows as if to say _And?_ "And Casey told her she'd been mugged down on campus," she continued, and Lena inhaled sharply. "So I drove Mari down and we picked up Casey, and... Lena, that girl was hurt bad. I don't know what happened, she wouldn't tell me anything, but she was crying and she said there'd been multiple men, and I think they..." She trailed off, letting Lena fill in the blanks. She did, eyes wide.

"Where did you take her?"

"To her apartment."

"And you just left her there alone?" Lena exclaimed.

"That's what she asked for, love. And then I took Mariana to her place, and I came home. I didn't know what else to do."

Lena took in her wife's defeated posture and held out her arms. It took Stef but seconds to accept the invitation and crawl into the embrace. They sat like that for a moment in silence, Stef crumbling into her partner's side, and Lena catching all the pieces.


	6. Chapter 6

_[A/N: Once again, TW sexual assault. Casey gives the details of her experience to her girlfriend.]_

It was almost two in the morning, but Mariana couldn't fall asleep. It had been weeks since she and Casey had slept separately - usually they stayed together at one apartment, but Case had said she wanted to be alone after the incident, and Mariana had respected that. Now, though, in the muggy dark of the early morning, she felt lonely and scared without her girlfriend. Emilia, her roommate, was at her boyfriend's house, as usual, and the whole apartment felt echoey and big. She pulled her phone off the charger and sat up in bed, clicking it on. There was an email from Mom and a text from Mama, but nothing from Casey. She bit her lip, looking back and forth between the dark phone screen and the empty pillow beside her. Finally, the pressure became too much, and she unlocked her phone, opened her contacts, and selected the second number down in 'Favorites.' It rang only once before Casey answered.

"Hey," Mariana said, feeling the knot inside her chest loosen just at the sound of her girlfriend's voice. "I hope I didn't wake you up. I just... couldn't sleep."

"Me neither," Casey confessed, her own anxiety lessening. "I haven't spent a night without you in over a month."

"Yeah," Mariana agreed, wondering whether to bring up the reason they were apart.

"I'm sorry I didn't want you to come over," Casey blurted out. "I didn't mean to push you away or anything. I mean, I wasn't-" Mariana cut her off.

"I know, honey. I wasn't hurt, I promise. But..." She paused. "Do you want me there now?"

Casey nodded, tears in her eyes, before realizing Mariana couldn't see her. "Please," she said in a broken whisper.

"I'll be right over." She didn't know how she was going to get to her girlfriend's apartment at 2am, but dammit, she would find a way.

In the end, Mariana had literally run the entire way to Casey's place. It was too late for the bus system, she didn't have a car or a bike, and she couldn't exactly call her moms for a ride. She positioned her keys in between each of her fingers like spikes, texted Casey that she was leaving now and if she hadn't arrived in half an hour to call the police, and pulled on a zip-front sweatshirt that was far too warm for the night but covered her chest. In this ensemble she ran, hardly stopping, through the dark streets of San Diego. It was two and a half miles between their apartment buildings, and she made the trip in twenty two minutes. Using the key between her middle and third finger, she let herself into the building, and then climbed the stairs to Casey's place, where she knocked once before letting herself in via the fourth key in her hand. Upon opening the door, she immediately saw her girlfriend sitting on the couch, cell phone and heavy textbook in hand, with the living room lights on. She pushed the door shut behind her and rushed to take Casey into her arms. The second they connected, the other girl broke into tears. She had clearly been trying to push this all down unsuccessfully, and now that she'd let go, there was no more energy to spend on holding back. Mariana simply held her until the tears ran dry, at which point they shifted wordlessly from sitting to lying down and both girls fell asleep, Casey still tucked securely in Mariana's embrace.

Sometime later, Mariana felt her partner shift on the sofa and opened her eyes. Casey had rolled so they were face-to-face, only inches apart on the small couch, but had not woken. Mari felt a protective rush of anger surge over her as she laid a soft kiss onto her forehead. She swore she'd get justice, though she didn't know what that would look like. She swore she'd protect the girl she loved, and she swore those bastards would get what they deserved.

During all of this swearing, Casey had stirred, her eyelids fluttering, and a slow smile crept across both girls' faces. "Hi," Casey whispered.

"Hi," Mariana whispered back.

"Thanks for coming over last night."

"Of course, my love." She kissed her girlfriend, hearing her mom's voice in her own. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Casey shrugged. "After coffee," she said, leaning her head on Mariana's chest.

Coffee, of course, came two hours later, as both young women fell back asleep. It was only seven in the morning, and neither had fallen asleep until after three. At nine, though, both felt alert enough to consume a cup of heavily creamed caffeine, holding hands across the table in Casey's small apartment.

"So," Mariana said, the little word a whole sentence in and of itself.

"They made me touch them," Casey stated woodenly. "There were four of them. One grabbed my wrist and another stood behind me and," she shuddered, "unhooked my bra. The other two just watched. I think they were laughing. I recognized them, kind of. I don't know. I wasn't really thinking. I tried to pull away and the first guy put my hand into his pants." She swallowed thickly, her tongue feeling twice its usual size. "The other one reached around me and grabbed my boobs. He squeezed really hard and ground his crotch into me, and the other one used my hand to jerk himself off. I kind of froze, and then I came to and elbowed the guy behind me in the stomach, hard. When he bent over, I yanked my hand away and ran. They didn't follow me. I guess they'd had their fun."

Mariana waited with bated breath until she was sure Casey had finished. "Jesus, Case." She didn't know what else to say.

"Yeah."

After another silence, Mariana said, "Do you want to tell someone? Like, the police or something?" Casey shook her head. "Okay."

"This is enough," Casey replied, squeezing Mariana's hand. "Thank you."


	7. Chapter 7

"Jesús Adams Foster" and "Mariana Adams Foster" were called one right after the other at the very beginning of the incredibly long commencement ceremony. Both names were greeted with whoops and yells and a piercing whistle from Stef. Later on, after several hundred names that the Adams Foster families completely ignored, "Casey Sykowsky" received raucous cheers as well. Another couple hundred more students crossed the stage, everyone stood up and moved their tassels, mortarboards were thrown into the air, and the deed was done. The twins had graduated from college. Stef, Lena, and Elizabeth were all crying, though Elizabeth's tears had more to do with her soggy diaper than nostalgia. Callie swooped off to take care of her baby while the rest of the family went to meet Jesús, Mariana, and Casey, who looked positively radiant in their navy blue robes.

"I'm so proud of you, my babies," Stef squealed, hugging both twins at the same time.

"Me too, me too," Lena echoed, grabbing them the second her wife let go. "You guys, we're so proud."

"Me too!" hollered Sammy, wanting to feel included though she didn't really understand what had just transpired.

"Thanks Moms," Jesús said with a sunny smile, and then he bent down to his niece. "Thank you, Samkins," he added, grabbing her under the armpits and swinging her high into the air, her mother watching anxiously.

"And you, Casey, congratulations," Lena said, turning to the third graduate in the bunch.

"Thanks," Casey answered, blushing a little. "It's no big deal."

"Are you kidding me?" Stef replied. "It's a huge deal! It's a huge deal and we are so so proud of all of you!" She made the rounds again with hugs and sloppy cheek kisses, all given in sets of three as was her style.

"When's the party?" asked Sammy, having been returned to the ground by her uncle and now watching the adults chat impatiently.

"The party is now, my sweets," Stef cheered, ruffling the little Asian girl's hair.

"This doesn't look like a party," Sam protested.

"Sammy," her mother, Lauren, warned.

"Well why don't we get home and make it one, eh, kid?" Stef responded, winking.

The backyard was filled with strings of twinkle lights, streamers, and balloons. A rented speaker system had been set up and was blasting the clean versions of Top 40s tunes, and the usual yard furniture had been moved to the side to make way for a long buffet table of treats and a space for dancing. The garden was filled with people - the moms, the five siblings, their partners and children, all three grandparents, several friends, friends' parents, and even some neighbor kids who'd snuck in to steal the appetizers. Mariana and Casey were nearly always together, either holding hands or with their arms around each other's shoulders. It took Stef and Lena a good half an hour to pull their baby girl off to the side alone.

"Hey, Miss Thing," Stef said warmly, tugging on Mariana's hand. "Come sit with us, please." Mariana followed dutifully, prepared for the speech ahead.

"You know we are so, so proud of you, yes?" her mom asked, rubbing her knee.

"Yes," Mari confirmed, shaking her head a little at the enthusiasm.

"So proud," Lena added.

"I get it, Mama."

"And we want you to have this," Lena continued, holding out a wrapped box. "As a celebration of your achievement and a reminder of your talents."

"Ooh, a present!" Mariana laughed and tore the paper off. Inside she found a brand new Mac laptop, and her jaw dropped. "Moms, you didn't have to- This is too much! I can't accept this!"

"Yes you can," Stef said smugly, winking again. "And you will. Yours is crap anyway. It's true!" she added defensively, in response to her wife's glare.

Mariana turned the other way. "Mama, you guys can't afford-" But Lena cut her off.

"It's not every day our Miss Thing graduates from college. And with a computer science degree, no less." She ran a hand over her daughter's chocolate hair. "We're so proud of you and we want you to have this to do your best work."

Finally giving in, Mariana threw her arms around first her mama and then her mom. "Thank you!" she cried, kissing them both. "Thank you so much! It's amazing!"

"It's even got the special eyeball display," Stef bragged, pointing to the box.

"Retina display," Lena corrected.

"Whatever."

Mariana laughed. "Thank you, Moms, really. You didn't have to spend so much money, especially since you helped us with tuition for four years..."

"You and your brother did a good job of supporting yourselves, and we are happy to splurge on you for a special occasion," Lena insisted. "And this counts as very special. Congratulations, honey."

"Thanks Mama."

"Now, I can see that lady love of yours eyeing us," Stef began, "so why don't you get back over there and stop her from looking like a lost puppy?"

"Mom!" Mariana protested, swatting Stef on the shoulder. "She's not a lost puppy!"

"She looks pretty lost without you," Lena agreed, smiling devilishly in a way not suited to her usual character. Mariana simply rolled her eyes, hugged her moms one more time, and went over to her girlfriend, who, it was true, hadn't taken her eyes off the trio since Stef and Lena had pulled Mariana away.

Next the two moms sought out Jesús, who was easier to find in the center of the dance floor. Stef tapped him on the shoulder and beckoned him over to the corner where, moments ago, they had sat with his twin sister. Jesús followed willingly and sat down between his mothers, looking expectantly at them.

"Where's the present?" he asked bluntly.

"Why, you little-" Stef started.

"I know you got me one," he said, shrugging.

"We taught you better manners than that," Lena chided, poking him in the shoulder, but Stef only laughed and pulled the box up from beneath the bench.

"Alright, sweet knucklehead. Open it up."

Jesús ripped through the wrapping paper like a house afire and unearthed a series of used books. With a scathing look at his mama, he said skeptically, "Books?"

"Be grateful," Stef scolded him with a swat on the thigh. "We could have gotten you coal."

"These are some of my old pedagogy books," Lena explained. "We thought our Mister Teacher Man could use them. And there's this," she added, sliding an envelope out from under her own leg.

Jesús tore that open too, much more overjoyed to discover the iTunes gift card inside it. "Sweet, thanks Moms!"

"You're welcome," Stef laughed, shaking her head. No matter how old Jesús got, he would always be a kid.

"And I hope you know we're very proud of you," Lena tacked on, squeezing his hand. "You worked really hard to get this degree, and we want you to know we saw that."

"You did good, buddy," Stef agreed, and Jesús gave a softer, more genuine smile.

"Thanks, Moms," he repeated.

"Now let's get back to that party, hmm?" Stef suggested, elbowing him in the ribs. "I bet I can beat you in a dance-off," she challenged.

"Oh yeah?" Jesús raised his eyebrows. "An old lady like yourself?"

"Hey, watch it," his mom replied, with a second jab of her elbow. "Watch who you're calling old, young man."

"Let's see your moves then, Mom," he quipped, sticking his tongue out and jumping to his feet.

"One second." Lena stopped the two of them. "Jesús," she said seriously, grabbing his biceps and looking directly into his eyes. "We really are so proud of you, honey. And we love you. Congratulations." She pulled him into a hug, this time feeling a little nostalgic for the tiny hyper boy who barely stood still long enough for an embrace.

"Love you too, Mama," he responded, squeezing her back. "And now I'm gonna kick Mom's ass in a dance contest." He wriggled away from her grasp and dashed off, just daring Stef to follow, which she did zealously. And Lena just chuckled, watching her wife and middle son part the crowd in the center of the yard to make way for their competition.


End file.
